2 1/2 miles. It’s not very long. Only slightly longer than the National Mall in Washington. Not even 2/3 of the length of the Las Vegas Strip.
But also … it can be the distance between two different worlds. In fact, 2 1/2 miles is the distance between Australia and Papua New Guinea at their nearest point, in the Torres Strait.
In Papua New Guinea, the national wealth averages out to about $3,500 per person per year. In Australia, it averages out to around $65,000 per person per year. Two-and-a-half miles apart … and nearly 20 times wealthier. How does this kind of thing happen? Actually, we know the answer. Because it turns out that the secret to how nations get wealthy … isn’t really a secret at all.
